How I Made $1M in One Hour… And The Mistake That Nearly Cost It All

Set Active founder Lindsey Carter opens up about how to build a cult-like activewear brand for gen-z and millennial women that can do $1M of sales in an hour built on the back of an authentic founder-led brand. Lindsey isn't afraid to face the controversies and challenges that followed her brand’s rise - including TikTok backlash in 2023 and the recent breast cancer donation misstep. She shares hard-earned lessons on accountability, female business mindset, and why building a company with friends can cost more than it’s worth. Known for her entrepreneurial spirit, Lindsey built Set Active from the ground up, navigating the highs and lows of building a business in the public eye while offering valuable insights on success, leadership, and personal growth. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro(02:37) Hustling at 8: Lindsey’s First Deal(04:36) Becoming An Entrepreneur(05:45) Lindsey’s Identity Struggle: Living for Herself, Not Dad(06:59) Dad Controlling Her Money(08:23) Money, Power, and the Dynamic with Her Husband(10:37) Set Active: Before the Brand(11:49) Lindsey’s Biggest Challenge as a Founder(12:58) 2023: The Year Lindsey Almost Quit(15:45) Dealing with Backlash And Online Criticism(18:32) Why Mistakes Are Essential for Growth(20:54) Making Workers Scared Of Her(22:49) Want to Grow as a Founder? Here’s What You Should Do(23:53) Facing Harsh Online Feedback: How Lindsay Deals with It(26:27) The Breast Cancer Donation Backlash(29:27) Bad Press: Does It Hurt or Help a Brand?(31:04) Building a Cult Following with Authenticity(33:46) Forbes 30 Under 30: What It Really Takes(35:31) $1 Million in One Hour: How It Felt & What She Learned(37:46) Lessons from Making $1M in an Hour(39:25) The ‘Drop’ Model: Lindsey’s Strategy for Success(40:30) Flopping Drops: The Risks of 2023’s Bold Moves(40:51) Trends & Brand Building(42:04) Lindsey’s Entrepreneurial Superpower(42:46) Advice for Struggling Founders: How to Overcome Hard Years(43:55) Friendship & Business: Why Lindsey’s Circle Is Tight(48:01) How to Keep Business Relationships Collaborative, Not Competitive(49:41) Business and Friendship: Lindsey’s Boundaries(52:28) Losing Friends While Growing a Business: The Reality(54:08) What’s Next for Set Active: The Dream Moving Forward(55:15) Rapid Fire Questions(57:35) Where To Follow Lindsey and Set Active ⸻ Hot Smart Rich: Join 250,000+ angels and subscribe to the Hot Smart Rich newsletter: https://hotsmartrich.com/subscribe Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset: https://shorturl.at/pJWLc Merch: https://hotsmartrich.shop/YouTube: https://shorturl.at/IXXFZInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotsmartrich/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hotsmartrich Maggie Sellers Reum:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiesellersreum/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesellersreumLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellersmaggie/Locker: https://www.wantlocker.com/users/maggiesellersShopMy: https://shopmy.us/maggiesellersAmazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/maggiesellers ⸻ Follow Lindsey Carter & Set Active : Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseycarter/?hl=en Website: https://setactive.co/ ⸻ Hot Smart Rich is your place to hear unfiltered conversations with the people shaping the future of culture, creators, startups and community. Hosted by Maggie Sellers Reum, investor and media powerhouse, and guests breaking the mold, you’ll get the real deal as it relates to navigating the startup fast lane, leveling up your life or becoming your hottest, smartest, richest self. New episodes weekly on Wednesdays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you're starting a business, there are certain things that are so fun to think about. Y'all know I love a mood board, so everything that relates to the creative, the name, the brand, the website, the vision board. But then there are the things that make you pause and ask, am I even doing this correctly? Or do I even want to be doing this? Like forming your business, getting the right documents, keeping your personal information private. This is where our sponsor, Northwest Registered Agent, is so helpful. They're a one-stop shop for founders who want to launch and legitimize their business without turning it into a giant admin spiral. They help you form an LLC or a corporation, act as your registered agent, and give you tools like a business address, operating agreement, website, phone number, professional email, and free guides.

• 0:43Maggie Sellers Reum?

  They also have real corporate guides who know your local laws. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree.

• 1:04Speaker 01

  Hey Spotify listeners. When you travel with American Airlines, you'll enjoy comfort and convenience at every altitude. Before takeoff, unwind in the Admirals Club Lounge with curated self-serve offerings of hearty bites and refreshments. In flight, stay connected with high-speed Wi-Fi, sponsored by AT&T. Your journey is designed to feel easy from the moment you check in to the moment you arrive. No matter where you're going, American gets you there. Book now at aa.com.

• 1:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Lindsay Harder, are you ready to get hot smart rich?

• 1:31Speaker 02

  I was born ready.

• 1:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You have made a million dollars in one hour.

• 1:36Speaker 02

  At first, I thought it was a mistake. I think my dad used money as power. I was convincing myself of the societal narrative that like, a man has to make more than you. Something that I find really hard building a business is friendship. Like, don't hire your friends.

• 1:51Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You would never hire a friend anymore?

• 1:53Speaker 02

  No. One wrong misstep, one wrong mistake, will get someone to turn on you. Set is built on authenticity and transparency for the good or not the good.

• 2:05Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you think was the worst moment you've ever had building Set?

• 2:10Speaker 02

  It was our first down year. It was the worst year set had ever had. It was the worst version of myself as a leader. I was making such questionable decisions and mistakes and I lost myself that year. I was crying every single day. We called a leadership meeting and I was like, we need to fix this right away. I don't care if we lose money on this job. What's the most amount of money we can give?

• 2:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  In case you missed it, you're allowed to be hot, smart and rich. So let's get into it.

• 2:48Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Lindsay Carter, are you ready to get hot, smart, rich?

• 2:50Speaker 02

  I was born ready.

• 2:52Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You are one of the first athleisure lifestyle brands that I have had on that has reached cult-like status amongst millennial and Gen Z women. But for someone that is listening to this for the first time that doesn't have context into what you do or who you are, how would you contextualize what mission Lindsay Carter, the person, is on? Not the brand set active.

• 3:11Speaker 02

  My mission is to simplify the way that you get dressed. And it's more of a feeling that I'm selling. Like the amount of people that messaged me, I even got one yesterday, like talking about how she finally feels like she can fit in because she's in set. And it just like takes the guesswork out of getting dressed in the morning. If you're running your errands or just want to look put together, but like not too dressed up. And that's really why I started the company because I didn't feel like I had that.

• 3:43Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like that you didn't fit in?

• 3:44Speaker 02

  That I didn't fit in, but like I started the company, I was in my mid twenties. Like I was figuring out, I didn't know what my style was. I didn't know what, like I didn't have the money for a classic wardrobe or an essential wardrobe. Like, and I was like so lost on what to wear. So I figured like, why not simplify it and do matching sets? So you take the guesswork out of it.

• 4:06Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How else would you describe Lindsay Carter back when she was five to 10 years old?

• 4:12Speaker 02

  I would say like, just a kid who knew what they wanted or found a way to get what they wanted. Like, my dad's favorite story that he tells people was every year we'd go to an all-inclusive hotel to Mexico. Every trip, my dad would give me an allowance, or all of us, there's four of us, an allowance to spend while we're on the trip. I would blow through my allowance in probably the first five minutes. And my siblings would all like hoard it throughout the trip so that they could like, you know, take their time, pick out what they want. It was day three of our trip and I was on the beach and had no allowance left. And I saw a guy selling jewelry and there was a dolphin bracelet. And I was like, I need to have this bracelet.

• 4:55Speaker 02

  So I ran up to my dad, I was like, Dad, I need 20 pesos. And he was like, mm, you spent your money? I don't know what to tell you. So I went to my sisters, can I have your money? I promise I'll do something for you when I get home. Like, I was trying to barter with them. They said absolutely not. My brother said the same. So I was like, okay. It's really hot. I want to say it was like 98 degrees out and I'm looking around and I go to my brother, I'm like, I need to borrow your backpack. And he was like, okay. So I take the backpack, I go up to the restaurant, I stuff it with ice cold water bottles, because it's an all-inclusive hotel. So they give away water bottles. And I grab a plate of food from the buffet and I take the plate and I take the backpack and I go right back down to the beach. I'm like eight years old.

• 5:40Speaker 02

  And I tell the guy, I will trade you these ice cold water bottles and this plate of food for this dolphin bracelet. And he said, yes. And I got, and I come back with this shiny dolphin bracelet to the pool. My dad thought I stole it. He was so angry. Like, he was like, how did you get this? Like, whose money did you take? And I told him this, what I did, and he just started laughing and he was like,

• 6:02Maggie Sellers Reum?

  That is amazing.

• 6:02Speaker 02

  That is so you. And I just figured it out.

• 6:05Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So at eight years old, we could say you maybe were a hustler.

• 6:07Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 6:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  But you also were very entrepreneurial.

• 6:09Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 6:10Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Looking back at yourself, did you always want to be an entrepreneur at that age? Or you kind of fell into it?

• 6:14Speaker 02

  I think I was always coming up with ideas since I was little. I wanted a hair salon at one point. I was cutting my sister's hair when I was in high school. I started something called Lindsay Camp when I was a nanny and like took in all these kids who didn't have summer camp to go to from like private schools and like made my own itinerary, hired my own counselors. But my dad, I lost my mom when I was young, but my dad would always say like, "I'm gonna live in the west wing of your mansion or you're gonna be so successful one day." And I think that put pressure on me and made me actually want to like steer away from that. Because I was like, what if I can't live up to that? Like, that's such a big job and undertaking. It's like really hard, obviously, to build and, you know, become a multimillion dollar brand.

• 6:59Speaker 02

  It's very rare also. And I think for me, I was just like, oh, wow. Like, I don't know if I can ever live up to that. At the time, I thought that. So I actually went to school for early childhood education.

• 7:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  It's interesting, going back to like the pressure that we put on ourselves and what we expect of ourselves. Did you expect, I guess when you were maybe a teenager, that you would be sitting here as you started developing into who Lindsay Carter was?

• 7:27Speaker 02

  I think in the back of my mind, I knew that I was always gonna be successful because when I realized I wanted it to be a goal that I wanted and not what my dad wanted, I knew that nothing was gonna stop me. But I think I always just in my gut knew that I was gonna work for myself one day.

• 7:45Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What role did you play in your family in terms of your four siblings? Obviously, your dad was in your life, but your mom passed away. Like, what role did you play growing up?

• 7:53Speaker 02

  I think I was the black sheep. Like, I think I was the one that was most forgotten about because my dad always knew that I was gonna always figure it out. Like- Like I said, like if I wanted something, I found a way to get it. And because of that, I think he didn't have to worry as much about me and worried more about my siblings. So I think that made me grow up a little bit faster and become more independent. They're like, I would say, very dependent on him still. And I have a little bit more of an up and down relationship with my dad.

• 8:28Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What was money like for you guys growing up with four kids? Because I feel like that's a huge pressure for a single parent to raise four kids in Los Angeles.

• 8:37Speaker 02

  It was hard. Like, I think my dad used money as power. And like, if we ever got in trouble, it was like always taking away something that he knew we couldn't afford or like get ourselves. And I'll never forget, I got in like such a huge fight with my dad. I was sitting at Fresh Corn Grill in West Hollywood. Like, I just moved home from college. And I was so over the like, I'm gonna take away your keys or I'm gonna like take away your car. That I was like, excuse my language, but I was like, fuck it. I'm gonna go get my own car because I'm not dealing with this anymore. Like, I'm not gonna do this anymore. I'm not gonna have him control what I get to do or dangle things over my head. And I have that thought, but at the same time, I think like,

• 9:20Speaker 02

  there's no playbook on what to do with four kids when their mother passes away at like such a young age. And I feel like I can't fault him for the way that we were raised because I think that's a big undertaking is raising four kids. Also, like simultaneously with a stepmom who we all despised and hated. Like, I told her, like, my dad's gonna divorce you one day. Like, she was the worst. But like, talk about an evil stepmom. She was an evil stepmom.

• 9:46Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And they're no longer together?

• 9:47Speaker 02

  No, no, no, no.

• 9:48Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Okay.

• 9:48Speaker 02

  They got divorced, just like I said.

• 9:50Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Oh, hey. Self fulfilling prophecy.

• 9:52Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 9:52Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Money, whether we like to say it or not, is always a tool, right? It's a tool that you can use to buy financial freedom yourself, to buy things, to invest in yourself. Like, but money is often a tool that people use to control and manipulate you. And that's why for me, like, my capital T trauma is like, I always have to have my own money, even in my own domestic partnership, because to me, that's freedom and it's opportunity. And I think especially as women, like, it's more important than ever for us to have our own money. What would you say the dynamic is with you and your husband now? With you having such a successful brand and coming from that background of feeling controlled with money? Like, what is your husband and your dynamic as it relates to that?

• 10:32Speaker 02

  I think in the beginning, it was hard because like, obviously, if you're running a multimillion dollar company, you're successful. I worked my ass off to be able to live the lifestyle that we live. And the job that he's in isn't going to pay the salary of what an entrepreneur might get. And I think in the beginning, I like was convincing myself of the societal narrative that like, a man has to make more than you and take care of the family. And like, through a lot of therapy, I was, and it probably comes from my dad, because my dad took care of us.

• 11:07Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 11:07Speaker 02

  After going to therapy for like, a long time, and I've been with my husband for almost 13 years now. So I think I just had to shift my mindset. Like, he allows me to, like, he does not tell me how to run my company. And like, if I ask him for advice, he'll give me advice, but he doesn't offer it if I don't ask it. Like, he does, he's not telling me what to do, how to do it. He supports me. He's actually the reason I quit my nine to five and started my own company. And without his support, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. He's a very hands-on dad. He also does go to work. And I, I think he just respects that. And we have one bank account, and I have my own separate bank account too,

• 11:52Speaker 02

  that where if I want to have fun money, I get fun money, and I get to decide what I do with it.

• 11:56Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So you got married at 25.

• 11:58Speaker 02

  Twenty seven.

• 11:59Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Seventy seven.

• 11:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:00Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How old were you when you started Set?

• 12:02Speaker 02

  I was 25 when the idea like, happened.

• 12:06Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Who was Lindsay Carter when Set was just an idea?

• 12:09Speaker 02

  I actually did have my own company. It was a social media marketing agency. I had clients. I was, I had contracts. I had the whole thing. Before that, I worked a nine to five, and I absolutely hated it.

• 12:23Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So you went off and you did an entrepreneurial thing. So you kind of caught the bug.

• 12:26Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  The idea first that comes, what version do you think of Lindsay you had before Set that you've had to break up with as you've evolved into this role of being a founder and CEO?

• 12:37Speaker 02

  I think for the most part, I've actually stayed true to like, who I am, because Set is built on authenticity and transparency. And I've always been that person for the good, or not the good.

• 12:51Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Which we'll talk about.

• 12:53Speaker 02

  Yeah. And I think that that's something that's been like a through line through building Set.

• 13:00Speaker 02

  I guess I used to be a people pleaser like before starting my company or my companies because I was doing both simultaneously at the time. And you can't really like people please and be like entrepreneur because you won't be able to please them all.

• 13:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you think is the bravest thing that you've done building set?

• 13:22Speaker 02

  Not giving up. People always told me when I was building set that what's going to set you apart from other entrepreneurs or founders is pushing past the hard days. And everyone in this house can probably say like, yeah, like I've had a hard days, whether it's been loss or you failed a test in high school, like everyone has a hard day. But I think that there's different definitions of hard. And I was like, yeah, well, I can get through a hard time at work because I lost my mom. I lost my, one of my best friends to cancer in high school. I have gone through heartbreak before. I can do hard.

• 14:06Speaker 02

  This is a different beast of hard. This is a hard that is so unexplainable to a human being unless you're going through it. That makes you want to quit. Every fiber of your being is like, I'm done. And pushing past that is the most exhausting thing I've ever done.

• 14:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you think was the worst moment you've ever had building set?

• 14:31Speaker 02

  2023.

• 14:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

• 14:35Speaker 02

  Just the whole year. The whole year. Um, it's, you know, it's so interesting. I was sitting in my VP of Productions office today and she saw my TikTok. I just made one about like having anxiety and everything just kind of catching up to me when I was on a family trip on Saturday. We went for like a 24 hour trip and she.

• 14:55Speaker 02

  Was just like, what do you think, what do you think's going on? Or like wanting to talk me through it. And I don't know how it came up on this topic, but my biggest argument with my husband right now is that I want a third baby and he doesn't. And I don't know what or why this revelation happened sitting in her office, but I just was like, that's why I want a third baby so badly. And it's because with baby number one, Ace, and my second, I didn't take maternity leave. I was, especially with Ava, like I was working just to keep the lights on in the business. Like it was 2023 was the worst. It was our first down year. It was the worst year Set had ever had. It was the worst version of myself as a leader.

• 15:38Speaker 02

  Like I was making such questionable decisions and mistakes and I lost myself that year. And I didn't get to experience the newborn phase or like any of those moments that moms cherish and get to look back on. I didn't get that. And I think like that was my wake up moment today where I was like, that, like, why do I want a third kid so bad? Like I want to finally take maternity leave now that I have this like epic team who like I can trust and I am not involved in the every single meeting, every single day where I can take that time and you know, be with a newborn and actually be present.

• 16:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And I think that year 2023 for you was also the first year that you did face the first public criticism and the first, I think this is the first time that we've really seen people, like Instagram and TikTok are completely different spaces and TikTok was really taking off. That's the year that I joined TikTok and I was like really going at it and I was seeing these videos being created of people criticizing you publicly. And it's one thing to hear it on like Glassdoor or Reddit page where like you don't know who it is, people are hiding behind their username, which is like pretty cowardly things to do.

• 16:46Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Creating a video on TikTok about criticism is a completely different form of controversy or criticism.

• 16:56Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I felt like I saw so much of it happening towards you based on what you had talked about, which was like restructuring your social team, coming up with this thing that I think you called superset, which was like cross-functional creative happening across the business.

• 17:15Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Can you take us back to 2023 in terms of like opening the door to the level of criticism that Seth has faced like since that point forward?

• 17:25Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, wow, that year, I literally like is such a haze because I was also postpartum. And when you're postpartum and your hormones are just all over the place, like everything is buzzy. I didn't realize that like, one, TikTok was so new, being a founder-led brand was also very new. And I saw it as an opportunity, like, let me show the good, the bad, the ugly. And I didn't realize like how, how intense that app could get. And like, I didn't let go of my social team. I just restructured it. I gave different titles.

• 18:04Speaker 02

  I mean, Chief Brand Officer didn't ever exist until the CBO of Revolve became the CBO of Revolve. Like, there was no CBO.

• 18:13Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Totally.

• 18:15Speaker 02

  I was just trying different strategies, seeing what stuck at the wall. I mean, 2023 was the year of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what stuck, which is also why we were able to see how much didn't work. And it was the first time, I'll never forget. It was bad. Like, I was crying every single day. I think Gina and Ally, Gina, who's our brand strategist, and Ally, our COO, who are so very close to me, showed up at my house one day because I was still work from home, but like, working because I had a newborn. And we were sitting in my room and I just was uncontrollably like sobbing. I was just so ready to give up. And they came in and it was kind of just like an intervention. Like, they're like, this is unhealthy.

• 19:00Speaker 02

  Like, get off Reddit, get off your phone. Like, it was a time where people all started to take out their magnifying glasses and were armed and ready to pick apart every wrong move because they want to build you up just as quickly as they want to take you down. And it's, it's the scariest thing that I've ever been a part of.

• 19:21Maggie Sellers Reum?

  It's so interesting, though, because I feel like there's people that... Like, let's take Emma Greed, for example. She has openly said on many podcasts, like, "Work-life balance is not my problem." That is something that people, sure, there's the critics of that, but like, as a character, I don't think she's been made a villain. And I think what's been so interesting to watch your story specifically is I'm like, there have been so many things that have been taken out of context, or like, have been twisted in the same way where I'm like, that is what people say behind closed doors. Like, working hard, Emma Greed said it on a public stage of a podcast, like, "Work-life balance is not my problem."

• 20:01Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You seem to have been made this character that people believe one side of you. For someone that's watching this that is a critic of you, what are the other sides of you that you want them to know?

• 20:16Speaker 02

  How much I care. Like, I respond almost to every single DM that comes in. Like, I love talking with the community. Like, Set was one of the first brands to be built on community. And it's because I was bullied in high school. I wasn't the cool girl. I wasn't the popular girl. Like, I was the girl who was, I was never included in the Friday night plans. I remember like, wanting to throw a party at my house after a football game and after a win. I was so excited, like, I was like, "Party at my house", like, driving my stepmom's red Mercedes back to my house. And I was like, went home to like, go get everything ready. No one showed up. Like, I, I was that girl. And so, when I decided to build Set,

• 21:00Speaker 02

  I had always told myself that I was gonna build it on the pillar of community, because you are nothing without it. My brand is nothing without it. I care so much. Like, it's not just product I'm making. I'm creating a feeling. And I think that when you are a founder-led brand, and you're building a community, one wrong misstep, one wrong mistake, will get someone to turn on you. And I think that mistakes are like...

• 21:31Speaker 02

  I would not grow as a human if I didn't make mistakes. And like, if I'm not growing, that's scary. Like, I need to grow.

• 21:39Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 21:40Speaker 02

  And yes, a lot of what I've said has been taken out of context, or twisted, or there's two sides to every story. And that's the truth. Like, I can make mistakes and I can learn from them. And I do learn from them. But I'm not the founder that I was when I started the brand at 25. I was a lost adult at 25. And then I was a new mom in postpartum delirium. And I'm not saying that to make excuses. There are mistakes and decisions that I have made where I'm like, what in the world was I thinking? But it's also led me to be the founder that I am today. And without mistakes, you'll never grow. And I'm not interested in anything else but that.

• 22:23Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How would you describe the founder that you are today?

• 22:26Speaker 02

  I would say an empathetic founder. I really try to see the other perspective before I think. It's so interesting because I'll never forget. It was maybe 2022. It was the first time, like, we had our office, we had a team, and someone I had looked up to my entire life, who became kind of like a business mentor, like, kind of came in to help do like a leadership audit. Because like, things were just getting out of hand. We didn't have a real HR team. It was just, it was like time. We had like 12 people on the team. And she comes into my office that I shared at the time with Ally, and she goes, Lindsay, they're scared of you. And I was like, yes, that's what I want. And she's like, no, you don't want that.

• 23:12Speaker 02

  And I was like, I don't? And like, the whole time, like, like I said, there's no playbook to being a CEO. Like, I thought you wanted people to be scared of you so that they would do the work or get the work done. But like, no, you do not want people to be scared of you. You want to be approachable. You want to be motivational, creative. I mean, just understanding. And like, I'm so.

• 23:38Speaker 02

  Proud of like the growth that I've done because I am not the person that I was like even last year, the growth from last year to this year is something I'm really proud of, but it's been like the hardest road to get here. And I think the craziest part of it all is there is no like endpoint. There's no destination. Like it's not like you, you get to this point and you're like, I did it. The growth is done. It's always going to continue. And knowing that I'm probably going to make more, more mistakes is like very frightening for me, especially because I'm not going to stop building in public. But knowing the growth that's going to come out on the other side is what motivates me.

• 24:19Speaker 01

  Hey Spotify listeners. When you travel with American Airlines, you'll enjoy comfort and convenience at every altitude. Before takeoff, unwind in the Admirals Club Lounge with curated self-serve offerings of hearty bites and refreshments. In flight, stay connected with high-speed Wi-Fi. Sponsored by AT&T. Your journey is designed to feel easy from the moment you check in to the moment you arrive. No matter where you're going, American gets you there. Book now at aa.com.

• 24:46Speaker 03

  This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required compatibility and availability varies 18 plus.

• 25:12Speaker 04

  Born from the intensity of a night in the eternal city. Introducing Born in Roma Fragrances by Valentino. Feminine perfume Donna Born in Roma features juicy black currant, central jasmine, soft cashmerin, and warm vanilla. Masculine leaning but unisex womo has notes of fresh violet leaf, aromatic sage, green vetiver, and mineral salt. Shop holiday gifts at Macy's.com.

• 25:41Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Someone listening to this that wants to make changes, wants to grow, what are they doing?

• 25:51Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Tomorrow, next week, the next few months, to get to that growth, to stop their style of leadership, or the way that their company culture is currently running, or the things that just aren't working.

• 26:04Speaker 02

  I mean, I think you have to face the truth face to face. Like, it was the first time, you know, like, my business mentor at the time coming in to kind of do that business audit was the first time that I was hearing what employees had to say about my leadership. And so now that we have HR and now that we have like, you know, SOPs and facing what people have to say, like the negative, like, that's not fun. You don't, no one wants to sit there and like, read what you have to work on, but it's necessary and it's uncomfortable. But growth isn't comfortable. So anytime that you put yourself in a position to feel uncomfortable is where the growth is gonna happen.

• 26:44Maggie Sellers Reum?

  That's why I'm so excited to have you on because we talked about this at dinner. And the whole goal of this podcast is to have the conversations that happen, closed doors, happen live for other people to listen and learn from and really create impact with that. And I think I said this to you, like, I have my fair share of Reddit threads that are anonymous, like, that doesn't actually hurt me as much anymore as I think it once did. But the day that I am waiting for is when I see a video with someone's face that they are brave enough to put out, like, totally tearing down what I'm doing or having a completely different opinion, because I think that means that I'm doing something right. Like, I am having a POV, I'm sharing it with the world, but I don't know how I'm gonna feel in that moment of seeing it.

• 27:26Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like, what does it feel like for you when you see something like that?

• 27:32Speaker 02

  I mean, it's the hardest thing ever. I've gotten better at it. I, I try to delete the app, like, if, God forbid, something is happening. Like, I had my work-life balance video go viral and cut apart and all this old stuff come up. And I deleted TikTok for like a month. Like I was like out of sight, out of mind. Like all my friends, whether they're famous or other entrepreneurs or other founders, like that's who I lean on when when something like this happens because they've also been through it. I think it says more about them than it does about me and I try to take the parts that I can change. Like if if they're saying something, I'm like, yep, that is true. That was my mistake.

• 28:13Speaker 02

  Like I now know that like I need to take accountability and own that and how can I make it better? But if they're going after my appearance, the way that I mother or anything in that regard, I'm like, excuse me, like, who do you think you are? It's wild what people

• 28:33Speaker 02

  will do. Like, what if an employer sees that they're making these videos? I I wouldn't hire someone who's making videos like that. Uh, uh, in two seconds, I wouldn't. I mean, I'll never forget we had when we hired this employee. It was for a creative position. She's still with us. I'm obsessed with her. She's the perfect employee. Like she's hardworking. She has the best creative ideas. She's a team player. And on her interview, I was the last interview. She was like, I've seen the Glassdoor reviews and I know there's two sides to every story and I'm excited to build this vision with you. And I'll never forget when she said that to me. Like, I was just like, yes, that's who I want on this team, building this brand with me.

• 29:19Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the hardest moment that you've had to take accountability for?

• 29:22Speaker 02

  It just depends on on the year. I guess this year, like our biggest misstep was our breast cancer drop.

• 29:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And for someone that's listening that doesn't know what happened?

• 29:32Speaker 02

  We did a drop around breast cancer. We donated 2% of proceeds back to charity and it caused an uproar on social media, rightfully so. That was the hardest, the hardest part of our year for me so far.

• 29:44Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And when you have to take accountability for something like that, like What happens in an organization when you have to take accountability?

• 29:51Speaker 02

  That's a hard question to answer. It's like, what happens if you're a, you know, if this is corporate, or it's Amazon, or Jeff Bezos makes something like, it's maybe a statement that's written by a crisis PR team, but when you're a community brand who is founder-led, like, you have to acknowledge the mistake. It's interesting, like, I was talking back and forth, like, oh, if this comes up on the podcast, like, how would I answer that? And I started to say, like, out loud, like, you know, I move so fast, and I heard in one ear that other brands were doing 1% of donated back to charity, but I didn't realize that that 1% was for the whole year, like, that was their initiative. And so, like, when you're moving so fast and drug, and then I was like, no,

• 30:33Speaker 02

  I'm not gonna make an excuse. It was a misstep. It was totally wrong. And it's not like I did it on purpose. I wasn't like, oh, my gosh, like, I want to make money and profit off of this job. It didn't register for us. I remember being in the office, and, you know, we called a leadership meeting, and I was like, I'm not okay with this. What's the most we can do? I was like, I don't care if we lose money on this job. What's the most amount of money we can give? Like, we need to fix this right away. And it taught, well, it taught me a lot of things, but it definitely taught me that we now have a standard operating procedure for charitable giving, which we didn't have before, because had we had one before, we wouldn't have been in this situation.

• 31:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I'm so proud of you, because I think this is the conversation that we had at dinner, where I was like, it's just taking accountability and, like, moving on, right? And it's like,

• 31:23Speaker 02

  Yeah. I can't press rewind and do it all again. What I can do in that, like, if you take me back to that day, like, do I want to, like, you know, that movie with Adam Sandler, click, be like, pause, rewind, do it again? Of course, like, I would in two seconds want to do that. But unfortunately, that's not the way the world works. And so, you have, when you're a leader, you have to sit there and you have to ask yourself, what can I do right now to make it right? Like, that's gonna make me feel good. I don't, it's not about anyone else in this moment, like, I'm not okay with this, and this was a wake-up moment, and what can I do right now? And it was just a moment of, like, we need to have better

• 32:03Speaker 02

  procedures in place, and like, listen to our ethos, like, would Lindsay Carter be okay with 2% of proceeds? No, and I wasn't. And It was just, like I said, a missed step.

• 32:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Everything in life is a learning opportunity, right? It's like, are you gonna make the same mistake over and over and over again? Or are you gonna fuck up, move on, not make it again? Like, that is real growth.

• 32:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  When you think about this statement, there's no such thing as bad publicity. Like, what does the brand worry about or have to look forward to when there is a moment like this? Right? Like, there's controversy that gets stirred up. Do you hurt as a brand? Do you profit off of that? Like, what actually happens to that statement? There's no such thing as bad press.

• 32:53Speaker 02

  That's such an interesting statement because, like, because I feel so deeply, like, press is press, sure, but like, I don't wanna be known as some, like, that's not me. Like, I am the most giving person you will ever meet. I pay it forward in a grocery store, at a coffee shop, probably more than I should. I've been a giver since I was little. And it just, I think that you have to, like, separate it into different buckets. Honestly, our sales didn't hurt. And if anything, they were higher than ever during that time, which also allowed us to be able to give more, um, which was something I was really proud of.

• 33:35Speaker 02

  There hasn't been a time where I've been in the press where our sales were hurting. But for me, that's not what I care about. I care about doing the right thing.

• 33:44Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Totally.

• 33:45Speaker 02

  And that's what's always gonna come first. Whether good press is or bad press is good press. Like, that's not where my mind goes. It's, how can I make this right?

• 33:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I think the reason I ask that is because at some point or another, everyone listening to this podcast will feel like their life is over. Like, they will feel like, I've made a huge mistake. I'm being tear down. This is all gonna stop. The music is gonna stop. On good days, I feel like that with my business, to be fully transparent with everyone. When there is a story and it's spun, or there is something bad, like, it doesn't mean that it's over. Like, it is about learning and it is about growth, but the brand set has been through so much. And like, I wanna talk about some of the highlights now because, like, you guys have built one of the most cult-like communities where it's like, you can't almost describe it to people that haven't seen it. How do you think that you've done that?

• 34:39Speaker 02

  I think by being authentic. You can't fake authenticity. You just can't. And I think that people can smell fakeness from a mile away. And I just, I'm not that person. I'm an open book. That's really how I built this. Like, it's because I've just been so authentically me, the good, the bad, the epicness, the greatness, all the achievements that I've had, but all the failures that I've had. Like, I think showing that has been why people buy into the feeling. Because there's, we're selling a feeling and like, yes, the product is good.

• 35:22Speaker 02

  And we are so crazy about the fit and the materials and the quality. And always trying to like, I see one video and I count that video as one million videos. Like, I see one video, oh, Air Lax is pilling. I'll walk right into my VP Productions office. I'm like, I saw a TikTok video that Air Lax is pilling. We need to change the fabric. And she'll be like, just one? You just saw one? And I was like, yeah, just one. And she'll be like, well, we need the data. Like, what's the, what's the healthy return rate? Are we within range? Are we out of range? And I'm like, well, I don't know. But there's a video that's saying it's pilling and like, we can't have that. Like, I'm so crazy about the product, but it's also this feeling that you're buying into. Like, anytime someone's like, I just found set. It's my first time trying the brand.

• 36:07Speaker 02

  Like, I answer back, I'm like, welcome to the club, sister. Happy to have you in the fam. And like, they get to feel a part of something that maybe they don't get to feel a part of in their home life.

• 36:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I feel like there's no version of the brand that's built then in the future without you showing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Does that scare you?

• 36:25Speaker 02

  Of course. It's like the scariest thing. Like, like I said, knowing that there's still more mistakes to be made and more growth to happen is both. Like the scariest thing in the world, but also the most exciting thing in the world.

• 36:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What's the best moment that you've ever had buildings at?

• 36:40Speaker 02

  This is gonna sound so cheesy to say, but it had always been a goal of mine to get Forbes 30 under 30. And I got it when I was 29. And so many people, especially now with the discourse on TikTok, say like, oh, people pay their way to get on the list. Like, some people might, I don't know, but like, I definitely did not. And I know very many other, like, very many people who got Forbes 30 who also didn't pay their way. Like, it's a rigorous process. They reach out, you have to answer 1 million questions about your business, about you, about your numbers, about your growth. Like, then you have to get on the phone and do another formal interview, and then you hear nothing. And then, all of a sudden, you wake up to an email saying, congratulations, you're in the class of Forbes 30 under 30. And you're just like, what?

• 37:26Speaker 02

  Like, that's crazy, it's crazy. And I think that was like a big, oh my god, moment for me because it felt official. Like, for me, that felt like, oh, wow, like, my name's out there now, and people know what I'm building.

• 37:40Maggie Sellers Reum?

  We have such different experiences because that was also such a big goal of mine. Like, I would have died to be Forbes 30 under 30, and like, I didn't get it. And it's funny because I was never the person that was like, this list is fake and this list is bought. Like, all of the discourse we're about to see that, like, people pay their way onto this list. I was like, I'm so proud that I have so many people in my life that have gotten onto this list. Because if I didn't make it, like, I'm surrounding myself with people that are gonna get me onto the next list, right? So it's so interesting to think about two different perspectives, sitting in like a similar situation now of like, drive, ambition, and like, it's not gonna be the same path that necessarily every single person takes. You have made a million dollars in one hour.

• 38:25Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 38:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What did that feel like?

• 38:29Speaker 02

  Like, at first, I thought it was a mistake. I thought Shopify glitched. I was like, what's happening?

• 38:36Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like, I read that almost 75% of it was in 15 minutes.

• 38:39Speaker 02

  Yeah, it was crazy.

• 38:41Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So what happened?

• 38:42Speaker 02

  We had done something a little bit different. We decided to do, like, active resort, basically. And when you think of, like, resort, you kind of think of, like, darker colors, like, just like classic wardrobe staples. And I was like, no, like, I remember, it was four years ago, I was in Cabo, like I do, like I go every year. And I was leaving the gym and I was in black activewear and all. I saw everyone, like, walking in and out of black activewear. And then the store also had only black activewear and, like, not fun colors. And I was like, there has to be something more exciting, like, active resort. Like, everyone gets a wardrobe for vacation. It's usually when they become a little bit more of a daredevil and play with colors and mismatch things and, like, really bright colors.

• 39:26Speaker 02

  I was like, we have to do that with resort. And it was risky because it was colors that, like, you probably would never put together. And the campaign was just executed so well. It was exactly like the feeling that I wanted to emulate. It was shot in Mexico and the hype was so real. Like, everyone was like, have you seen this? Have you seen this? And, like, TikTok videos were being made about it, like, taking the teasers and the line plans. And so on launch day, like, it's, launch days are always the same. I go to bed the night before and I try to, like, visualize it being so successful. And then I wake up the next morning, I treat it like a normal day. I do my coffee, I go to the office.

• 40:10Speaker 02

  We usually, leadership will sit in the same room during launch day, but the excitement was so high. We kind of just had, like, everyone in the conference room to watch Shopify on the big screen. And it was like, it hit a million, like, I think it was like 1.3 or something at the hour mark. And we were like, what? Like, this is crazy. It was such a high. I'll never, like, forget that day. And then we got right to work. Like, how are we gonna make next year even better? And we are gonna make next year even better.

• 40:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you think that that taught you about the framework of success that SET has?

• 40:42Speaker 02

  When you have a win, our brains are wired to be like, okay, what's next? And how do we make that bigger and better? It's really hard to celebrate the wins as they're happening. And it's often that you celebrate the win like a year later. Like, yeah, looking back, Resort was epic. I'm so proud of myself. Like, I can say that now, but in that moment, in every moment that is successful, like, we just had a killer Black Friday. We crushed goals. Like, it's, again, like, this is our second best year that we've ever had. And I'm like, okay, how do we make next Black Friday better? I went to bed the other night, wrote in my Notes app, like, ideas for next year.

• 41:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  For Black Friday?

• 41:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, to make it better.

• 41:20Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So is Sets Magic all about this drop model that you guys have built?

• 41:24Speaker 02

  Um, yes and no. We're actually changing up our strategy for the first time. Um, well, not first time, but yeah, basically first time next year. Like, our core collection is just gonna be Onyx, um, where it's available year round. Like, if you are new to Set and you wanna try it, you don't wanna like dabble in the colors, like, you can buy our best-selling colors in black. Then we're introducing seasonal shops that are in stock for three months at a time. Because what we started to realize is when we would gift influencers, like, they would post much later, and by that time, the product was sold out. But we, we want them, obviously, they're selling something that they're wearing. Like, we want our customers to be able to get that, but it would be sold out. So having a seasonal shop will make it so that you can go in and get what you want for that season.

• 42:09Speaker 02

  And then we'll have the, like, really refined storytelling, like, limited edition special drops.

• 42:16Maggie Sellers Reum?

  The drops is such an interesting thing because I've seen videos of people being like, "I didn't get what I wanted," but it's like, there's only so much quantity. When you're selling a million dollars or 1.3 million dollars in the first hour, like, are you planning for that demand?

• 42:29Speaker 02

  Every time we have a drop, like, we plan, we're so far built into next year, but we'll say, like, "How long do we want this drop?" To be in stock for.

• 42:38Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 42:39Speaker 02

  You can only do so much with the data because we change our strategy. It's like, it sucks for us, but it's, you can't really compare apples to apples when you're making like data decisions because every year is so different. But I can tell you that we're not ordering just a couple hundred units. Like we're ordering like thousands, tens of thousands, over 20,000 units a drop. That's why next year, we're, we're kind of changing up the strategy where like something can be in stock for three months. That's still fun. That's still different and appropriate for the season. And then we're going to have these like very limited edition, still tens of thousands of units, but more like very special edition drops that like feel special.

• 43:21Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Have you ever had a drop flop?

• 43:23Speaker 02

  Yes. Oh, my God. All of 2023.

• 43:26Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like what was wrong with it? It was like the colors were wrong. Like what happened?

• 43:30Speaker 02

  I think we just took too many risks and we were so specific. Like it was, we weren't world building for the masses. We were world building for very niche communities.

• 43:43Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How does a founder tell the difference?

• 43:44Speaker 02

  I mean, you have to be very plugged in to social media and like what people are talking about, what are consumers saying? What are they into? Like something, a conversation we just had today was the, the buying for like just the trend in general for a long time was like world wardrobe staples, old money, classic, timeless, things that will never go out of style. And now what we're seeing with our consumer is they want fun. They want fun colors. They want patterns. They want the attention. They want the product to be like, look at this outfit. Look at what I put together. Like they want the bright colors and like the fun styles and the unexpected campaigns.

• 44:29Speaker 02

  And it's completely shifted, but I only know that because I'm so plugged in on social media. And I'm always just like grabbing. It's like, I saw someone where. Their grandpa's like vintage Christmas sweater with Santa Claus on it. And I was like, oh, wait, I like that font. I like that color. I like, and I'm like putting together pieces of like making this world come to life for Black Friday next year.

• 44:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the superpower of Lindsay Carter?

• 44:58Speaker 02

  I think it's my creativity. Like, I'm always thinking of ways to just like level up. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. And like 2023 is a great example of that. Like, none of my ideas worked. Like, they all sucked. Like, that's just, that's what happened.

• 45:20Maggie Sellers Reum?

  It's kind of like a fashion designer where they have hits and they have just like total losses.

• 45:24Speaker 02

  Yeah. As a founder, like, you need to know who you're building for and like who your consumer is. And I think I just lost sight of that in 2023 because I lost myself. So how am I supposed to understand someone else if I don't even know who I am?

• 45:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  For founders that are listening to this that are having a horrible year, like they're getting divorced or they just lost someone or they've gotten terrible skin even. Like, is it possible for them to go through that on a personal level and build a founder-led brand?

• 45:55Speaker 02

  Yes, but it's not easy. Like, it's just not. It's, it's interesting because like as you were saying that, you're like, oh, they just got a divorce. Or they, like, there's different types of hard. And I think that the word hard gets thrown around as just like one conceptual word of like hard is hard. But there are so many layers to hard. There is grief hard, there's confidence hard, there's leading hard, there's like just being a partner hard. Like, I think it's about understanding your priorities and like waking up. And like if your marriage is falling apart or your business, like being able to be like,

• 46:40Speaker 02

  okay, what needs my attention today so that it doesn't fail? And that requires skill.

• 46:47Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Something that I find really hard, building a business, is friendships. Because I think Sometimes they're competitive.

• 46:54Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Sometimes they're exhausting. But relationships give us... Basically, after we have food, water, safety, security, what you need next is relationships. And I don't know about you, but when I leave a girls' night, like, it fills my cup in a way that I don't feel in any other dynamic, especially when you're building a business. It's so important. I think you've been very selective about who you let into your founder circle.

• 47:22Speaker 01

  Hey, Spotify listeners. When you travel with American Airlines, you'll enjoy comfort and convenience at every altitude. Before takeoff, unwind in the Admirals Club Lounge with curated self-serve offerings of hearty bites and refreshments. In flight, stay connected with high-speed Wi-Fi. Sponsored by AT&T. Your journey is designed to feel easy from the moment you check in to the moment you arrive. No matter where you're going, American gets you there. Book now at aa.com.

• 47:49Speaker 03

  This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18 plus.

• 48:15Speaker 04

  Born from the intensity of a night in the Eternal City, introducing Born in Roma Fragrances by Valentino. Feminine perfume Donna Born in Roma features juicy black currant, central jasmine, soft cashmerin, and warm vanilla. Masculine-leaning but unisex Womo has notes of fresh violet leaf, aromatic sage, green vetiver, and mineral salt. Shop holiday gifts at macys.com.

• 48:43Speaker 02

  Why? I'm a Taurus. Loyalty is my superpower. And...

• 48:52Speaker 02

  I think I just like put, I used to put the expectation that because I'm so loyal, everyone else has to be loyal, but like you just can't do that. And I was being let down so often by friends that it was such a letdown that it was like hurt, like I took it so personally when nine out of 10 times it wasn't personal. And so when I made my circle smaller, I was able to like identify what does fill my cup. I have a lot of friends, but I I'm selective on who I spend my time with. And I also don't drink. I nine out of 10 times probably want to show up in sweats. I don't like to go to dinner past 6pm like I

• 49:32Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Unless you're with Maggie at Shake Shack.

• 49:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, unless I'm with Maggie at Shake Shack, which by the way was a 6pm dinner. And I just know what I want now and it's made it like easier to find those like like minded people. Like I remember I forgot who I was talking to. I think it was you where I was like, is this a sweats dinner? And you're like, fully.

• 49:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 49:53Speaker 02

  I was like, okay, great. Like, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. But it's also made the relationships and the friendships that I do have in my life like just

• 50:04Speaker 02

  they fill my cup like in ways that I can't like, I just trust them wholeheartedly and know that, you know, I'll give you, I mean, sorry, Chelsea, I'm gonna say the story, but I am, I was having a lot of anxiety like on Saturday, just like, and when my anxiety comes out, it's like an alter ego, like I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm saying. It's like it takes over my brain and convinces me of some things that it's so sure of that I'm not able to like talk myself out of it. And it makes me like self sabotage a relationship. And I was like picking apart something that pissed me off with Chelsea and she like,

• 50:45Speaker 02

  Just knew what to say. Like she was like, this isn't what happened, like blah, blah. And I said to her, which was scary, but like, I was like, I'm just having a lot of anxiety right now. And she could have answered and been like, I don't have time to deal with this. Like she's also going through a lot. She's pregnant. Her family dog was dying and like I, I wasn't registering. Like I wasn't like hearing that she said she was going through a lot and kept going and going about the thing that was bothering me. And she was like, Lindsay, like, stop. I love you. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that you could say or do. That's gonna make me not be there for you or not love you. You're more than a sister. You're my best friend. And I was like, that's all, like, it like pulled me out of the like,

• 51:29Speaker 02

  anxiety loop that I was having in my head. And then I, then it comes to like regret and like, I can't believe I like, who was that? What happened? Like, you don't recognize what's happening during a panic attack. And like, I choose people like Chelsea. Because that's what you need. Like when you're going through that and like, she's gone through something too, where she's picked up the phone and called me and said, I can't do this anymore. Like whether it's in business or this or whatever it might be. And I have to be that strong person for her. And I think it's really special that now that I like, used to have, I cast this big net of friends and then I reeled it in. And now like the people that I have who surround me are like ride or die for me. And I think it's really important to have that when you're building in public.

• 52:15Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How do you and Chelsea maintain not competitive, but collaborative with each other?

• 52:22Speaker 02

  Because it's not competition for us. Like, we're so upfront. I remember like, I cannot keep a secret to save my life. Like, which is, like, my team literally is like, do you have to tease everything the day after? Like literally the day that we just dropped something else. And it's like impulsive. Like, I'm like, I have to show.

• 52:41Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Why are you like that?

• 52:42Speaker 02

  I'm so excited. I was like, I'm just so excited about what's coming. Not like I have to show. It's like, I don't want to keep a secret from my friends. So I'm not going to keep a secret from my community because my community feels like my friends. Right, like especially my broadcast channel, like I'm like, those are my people. Um, and with Chelsea, like she's my broadcast channel. So like, I remember a couple of months ago, months ago, we are way before Christmas and the holidays. I sent a teaser of a plaid sweatshirt, like a sweatshirt that said set with plaid. And she goes, haha, I have that coming too. And I was like epic. If yours sells out, like, send them to me or if mine sells out, sells out, I'll send it to you. Like, I think we just motivate each other and like, I, like I said, like, we just know that

• 53:27Speaker 02

  at the end of the day, if we didn't have our businesses, like we have each other and I think we just constantly put each other first. And it works, like,

• 53:37Speaker 02

  I, we, we talk about everything. We talk about numbers. We talk about what we have coming. Like I know her line plan. She knows mine. Yeah, there's crossover sometimes, but like, there's enough room for everyone, truly. And I think that like, we both know that in our gut and that we don't really let it get in the way of our friendship.

• 53:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you guys have boundaries?

• 53:57Speaker 02

  Like what kind?

• 53:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like, I know for people listening to this that want to start a business with their friend or even me with my sister, right? Like, I remember the first time this happened to me with a friend in business. They wanted to do something together and I was like, we need a contract. Like, I'm not just doing this based off of word of mouth, handshaking deal. Like, I love you, but we have to actually work things out. Like, this is still a business deal. And I think my friend at first was a little bit taken aback because they're like, we're friends. Of course, don't you trust me? And I'm like, of course I trust you, but this is still a business transaction, right? And so I think the reason I ask that is like, when you work so collaboratively collaboratively with your best friend, this is relatable to anybody that wants to build with their friend.

• 54:37Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 54:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What are the boundaries that you put in place to make sure that those relationships survive and work?

• 54:42Speaker 02

  I think you have to like, understand when it's work or when it's friendship. Like, if we're doing a collaboration with each other, like Park X Set, we need to follow that standard operating procedure. Like, my friendship is out the window with, with Chelsea. This is about set and park. What does that look like? If we were doing a collaboration with? Sour Patch Kids. I'm looking at the candy on your wall. Like, we're gonna write a contract, and I think it's just like, fall, like, having SOPs are so important when you're building a company because you can default to that every time. And so, like, yeah, like, I remember the first time I thought of the idea, the first, very first collaboration with Chelsea. I called her, we were in a fit meeting, I was like, I have an idea. Like, I wanna do

• 55:28Speaker 02

  active and make it like really girly because you're really girly. She's like, I'm in. And I was like, great, let's get our teams to like, do the talking, do the contracts, and then we can start the fun part. And like, that's just how we navigate stuff like that.

• 55:41Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Hard stuff first.

• 55:42Speaker 02

  Hard stuff first, first, get it out of the way. And, and let your teams handle it because your teams are in place for a reason.

• 55:48Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What's the relationship in your life that's changed since SET has achieved so much success?

• 55:54Speaker 02

  I've lost a lot of friendships. I hired friends. And that was really hard. And like, I'm still grieving some of those friendships that I've lost. But it's part of, it's part of building. And it's been either, like, my missteps and my mistakes. I should have never hired them. But when you're desperate, sometimes you hire out of desperation and sometimes you actually do believe that this person can do the job because you love this person so much and that

• 56:24Speaker 02

  I mean, there's so many different reasons why friendships have fallen apart, but it also taught me, like, don't hire your friends.

• 56:30Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You would never hire a friend anymore?

• 56:31Speaker 02

  No.

• 56:32Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What if your best friend is like the best employee, you're just like, no?

• 56:35Speaker 02

  No.

• 56:37Speaker 02

  If Chelsea called me tomorrow and was like, I'm shutting down Park and I wanna come be the co-founder of SET, I would say no.

• 56:42Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Why did you never have a co-founder of SET?

• 56:44Speaker 02

  Because I had a co-founder with my other company and it was, like, she was my best friend and it did not end well.

• 56:50Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you have a rule that you just think every single type of person shouldn't do business with their friends? Or you just don't wanna do business with your friends?

• 56:57Speaker 02

  I don't wanna do business with my friends. But I don't, I, I think that you can do business with your friends.

• 57:04Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do your employees become friends?

• 57:07Speaker 02

  They used to.

• 57:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And now there's just a strict boundary.

• 57:10Speaker 02

  I've, uh, yeah. Because the boundaries get muddied. Like, I, I care for my employees so much. I love my employees so much, but I am not their friend. I actually don't have a lot of friends. Like, I go home and I get in bed after my kids go to bed and watch Bravo. Those are my friends.

• 57:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I feel like, for me, it's interesting because I spend so much time working. I want to be around people I really like.

• 57:39Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 57:39Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And I, one of the things that I've done that has been a good lesson for me is, especially with employees, not really like peers, it's, I need to set boundaries at the beginning because I'm a very giving person. I'm a very fun person. And I think as soon as those go out the window and you lead as a friend first, it's very hard to become a boss second.

• 58:01Speaker 02

  Hundred percent. You're not respected in the same way.

• 58:04Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And I think for me now, I know it's like, I have to be a little bit tough upfront and a little bit like less friendly and less asking you about your relationship or what's going on on the weekends. And it's like, this is a place to work. And then I think you can lessen things up as they go.

• 58:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, I, I completely agree.

• 58:21Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the dream of set? Like, where do you go from here?

• 58:25Speaker 02

  I'm just really excited for next year. Like, just like the storytelling and I love like pushing myself creatively. And so like seeing that come to life. But I saw something, or I, I don't know if I was listening to it or not, like, something happened this week that it was like, there's, just like I was saying with,

• 58:46Speaker 02

  building like a business and, you know, like you're going to continue to make mistakes. Like, there's no destination of success. Like, you're not just like, I made it to Pleasantville and like now you stop. Like, I feel like, you know, we had our down year. We stabilized last year and we're up this year. And it's our second best year sets ever had in eight years. And it feels like the beginning again. And like, I'm more motivated than ever. So like, I don't know what that looks like at the end because I'm not building for an end. Like, I'm building it what's in front of me right now. And that's giving, you know, the community what they want and connecting with them on every level possible.

• 59:28Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Okay, Lindsay Carter, I'm going to ask you some rapid fire to finish up.

• 59:32Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 59:34Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the last thing you put on your credit card?

• 59:36Speaker 02

  The last thing I put on my credit card were three pairs of vintage jeans from RLT.

• 59:41Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Love it.

• 59:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 59:42Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What's the last most expensive thing you put on your credit card?

• 59:45Speaker 02

  A Chanel bag.

• 59:46Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What would you title this season of your life?

• 59:49Speaker 02

  I would say being unapologetically me.

• 59:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Love that. Are you a morning or a night workout girl?

• 59:57Speaker 02

  Morning.

• 59:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  High intensity or low intensity workouts?

• 1:00:02Speaker 02

  This feels very fake to answer. Like I'm so, I, my motivation to work out is like zero right now. I was like on a grind all of last year and the beginning of this year and like it's been out.

• 1:00:13Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like you're no longer at burn at 6 a.m.

• 1:00:15Speaker 02

  No, I need to get back into it. I really, really need to get back into working out. Like I just, just texted my husband, like I need to get the motivation again, but it's just not there.

• 1:00:25Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Why?

• 1:00:26Speaker 02

  So I broke my back in January of this year, horseback riding. And ever since then, I've had really bad back problems. But before that, I had a week back in general and everyone, doctors, my husband, who's crazy about working out, has always said like, you have to strengthen your back. And today, like honestly, my back hurts so badly. So I texted him and he's like, babe, like we gotta get you back into strength training. Like you need those muscles to like, you know, have proper posture and you sit at a desk all day and like, I'm so tired of my back hurting that like, I just need to get back into it. And like, I feel great after I work out. I just don't know why. I'll let you know when I have the answer. I don't know why I'm so unmotivated to work out right now.

• 1:01:09Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Okay, who is your favorite comfort creator?

• 1:01:13Speaker 02

  You're gonna laugh, like it's my, it's Father Kels's like eating videos. Like I'm so intrigued by like what restaurant she's trying and like she makes everything look so good. The amount of saved videos I have on it from her account of like, just, it's just, those are videos that I'll watch through. Other videos, like I'll probably do two times speed or just like, go to the next one, but like a Father Kels video on like rating a restaurant, I'm like locked in.

• 1:01:40Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the, your favorite set product you've ever created?

• 1:01:43Speaker 02

  Lux Forum. Our Luxe Worm fabric.

• 1:01:47Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I love it. Lindsay Carter, thank you so much for coming on. Where can people find you and how can they help you?

• 1:01:53Speaker 02

  You can find me on Instagram, Lindsay Carter. My broadcast channel is very fun. I'm very active in it. I text it like my group chat. And you can help me by paying it forward to someone else.

• 1:02:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Thank you for being so brave. People are going to learn a lot from you and definitely feel inspired after listening to this. So I can't thank you enough and I'm very proud of you.

• 1:02:17Speaker 02

  Love you.

• 1:02:17Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Love you.

• 1:02:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you're starting a business, there are certain things that are so fun to think about. Y'all know I love a mood board, so everything that relates to the creative, the name, the brand, the website, the vision board. But then there are the things that make you pause and ask, am I even doing this correctly or do I even want to be doing this? Like forming your business, getting the right documents, keeping your personal information private. This is where our sponsor Northwest Registered Agent is so helpful. They're a one-stop shop for founders who want to launch and legitimize their business without turning it into a giant admin spiral. They help you form an LLC or a corporation, act as your registered agent and give you tools like a business address, operating agreement, website, phone number, professional email and free guides.

• 1:03:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  They also have real corporate guides who know your local laws. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree.

• 1:03:33Speaker 05

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• 1:04:03Speaker 06

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